L.A. weather: Fast-moving storm to clear out before the weekend

The drop in temperatures and chance of rain showers Thursday will be short-lived, with the weather system expected to move out by Friday, forecasters say.

Temperatures in the Southland will be significantly lower compared with earlier in the week, with highs expected to be in the 50s today for most areas.

The L.A. County Department of Public Health issued a cold-weather alert for the Antelope Valley and Los Angeles County mountains through Friday, warning residents that wind-chill temperatures will be below 32 degrees.

"We also want to remind people not to use stoves, barbecues or ovens to heat their homes due to the risk of carbon-monoxide poisoning," Jonathan E. Fielding, the county's top health officer, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the best chances for rain will be in the southern and eastern parts of L.A. County, said meteorologist Todd Hall of the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Most areas will see a tenth to a third of an inch of precipitation, he added.

Even with the rain, L.A. could still be on its way to having its driest calendar year on record.

The current record stands at 4.08 inches in downtown L.A., as measured in 1953 and 1947. So far this year, downtown has received only about 3.49 inches of rain, weather officials said.

By Friday, Hall said most areas will start to see sun.

"We will be kind of breezy and cool, a brisk pattern into Saturday," he said.

The Antelope Valley, though, may still see some rain and the mountains will continue to see snow into Friday morning, Hall added.

Health officials also issued a reminder that public facilities and shelters are operating for those who are especially vulnerable to cold snaps, such as the elderly, people with disabilities or special medical needs and the homeless.